Phase 1 Treatment - Complete!!!

“I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.” Philipians 4:13

You better believe I can.… and I have made it through the last 33 days….Praise our awesome GOD because he has strengthened me!!! I’m sure you all have thought this has gone by fast. As for me….some days it has and some days it hasn’t. But, I have prevailed and most definitely will continue to do so with the love, support and encouragement of all my ‘prayer soldiers’!!

Here’s a rundown of my events over the last week and half:

• I had a CT scan and MRI in preparation for the stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The results showed a small (4mm in size) enhancement. At this point, the doctor is unsure if it is tumor growth or scar tissue. If it’s tumor growth, then the SRS will assist in blasting it. If it’s scar tissue, than…it is what it is. I’ve had no recurring symptoms, so I refuse to be worried about it!!! My physical and neurological signs are all excellent. I continue to be strong and ‘in good health’. Most importantly, I work hard every day to keep my attitude positive and my faith strong, which keeps me going. When I fall, (which to tell you the truth is usually on a daily basis), I refocus on the goal and God picks me up again. I also remember this….”Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”. - Confucious
• Blood test results for this week show that I am no longer anemic..YAY! My oncologist concurs that the Dapsone (antibiotic) was eating up my red blood cells. This is no longer an issue…so all is good there. Had my Thyroid checked and it’s normal. All other blood counts are stable and look good. Do I hear another YAY?!?!
• The biggest issue over this last week and half has been the severe case of hives over my entire body…..swollen, red, itchy, tinglely, just awful and miserable and ‘very attractive’….NOT! More than likely it is the Temodar, which is just what we didn’t want it to be. The last thing I wanted to do was stop chemotherapy early and not finish the complete treatment….not an option in my opinion and fortunately, not in the doctors’ opinion either. I powered though by using Allegra, Zantac, continued the steroids and a lot of prayer. Can I ever do anything by the book….why the hell not?? We actually don’t really know if it’s the Temodar I’m allergic to or the capsule packaging that may have some kind of dye that I reacted to. Now that I’m done with this phase of treatment, my body will have a chance to settle down before we start again.

Here’s what’s up next ???:

• At this point, I am scheduled for the SRS over 4/5 treatments beginning Tuesday, January 26th. The length of each treatment could span anywhere from 1-4 hours. I’ll find out the schedule this week. Since it’s definitely a more intense and focalized radiation treatment, I will be even more immobilized than with the daily treatments. I’m thinking they will most likely need to sedate me for these….please!
• After the SRS treatments, I should be able to begin the weaning process off the steroids. Can you hear me shouting for joy on this one…can’t flippin’ wait for this!!
• My next round of chemotherapy will begin February 22nd. The dose will be higher, since this regimen will be 1 week on chemo, 3 weeks off. We will have to wait and see how I react to the Temodar for this phase. If by chance I start in with hives again, we may need to go with IV form instead of pill form. Since it is only 5 consecutive days of treatment, I will need to ‘power’ through again. I will do whatever I have to do to make it work!

Thanks everyone for all the prayers. Please keep them coming. I can feel them all around me…they are totally working.

Heal the past. Live the present. Dream the future!!!

Many blessings to all,
Sandy